4 ms·

Ataraxia

73 points by keepamovin 2y ago

f5ve 2y ago
Josh Hartnett's suave insouciance in Lucky Number Slevin (2006) is accounted for by him "having ataraxia." [1] That is, as if it were a medical condition. I'm sure it was intended as a joke, but apparently wiktionary says "ataraxy" is sometimes used in a similar way, although I've never seen that. [2] [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjDTmTAy5rs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjDTmTAy5rs [2] https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ataraxy#English https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ataraxy#English
- keepamovin 2y ago
  I'm gonna check that out, now! Thank you for the recommend :) As an actor, I wonder if he was merely simulating ataraxy or if he genuinely had it? Perhaps, as an actor, there's no difference! BTW that clip was hilarious thank you! Hahaha :)
  - 082349872349872 2y ago
    Ataraxia? Upekṣā? 与道合一? 不動心? Don't harsh my mellow, man; they're all the same to me...
- n4r9 2y ago
  Reminds me of the film Office Space, where Peter is hypnotised to (temporarily) have no cares in the world, but the hypnostist dies before snapping his fingers [0]. There's also a very similar trope in the first episode of the show Black Books, where Manny swallows the "Little Book of Calm", absorbs it into his body, and becomes a Jesus-like calm presence for a while. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfZpEe7KIJ8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfZpEe7KIJ8 [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_dMEX_Lke0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_dMEX_Lke0
  - tessierashpool9 2y ago
    but was jesus jesus-like calm? "And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves." — Matthew 21:12–13, King James Version[10]
    - n4r9 2y ago
      I suppose I meant "calm like the modern image of Jesus, that has dramatically evolved and been cultivated over 2 thousand years", but that's a bit of a mouthful.
      - tessierashpool9 2y ago
        i suppose, too, but your short version isn't just a passable summary of the mouthful but rather revealing of how christians are cooking up a convenient interpretation of their beliefs while pretending to be so very devoted.
    - deleted 2y ago
      [deleted]
- stakhanov 2y ago
  > "having ataraxia." [1] That is, as if it were a medical condition. There is kind of a noticeable overlap between the stoic ideal and a schizoid personality style. For people who are already left-brain-dominant / spectrumy, or whatever you might call it, which applies to a lot of people in the computing profession, getting into stoicism as a philosophy and lifestyle is probably maladaptive.
- throwaway71271 2y ago
  I have a friend that has it. On his first day of work he missed the bus, so he called our boss and just said "I missed the bus, the next one is tomorrow morning, see you tomorrow". Working on any kind of problem with him is absolute joy, from outages to designing new features, including once when the server burned down and everything was lost.
  - thunderbong 2y ago
    Would love to hear some more anecdotes
billg_and_band 2y ago
[flagged]
- davedx 2y ago
  Yeah it's interesting how newer cultures syncretise aspects of much older ideas like that.
- escapecharacter 2y ago
  Non-fungible feelings
- _yb2s 2y ago
  How in the Neal Stephenson were the ancient Greeks cryptobros?
  - fnordian_slip 2y ago
    There seems to be quite a bit of overlap between cryptocurrency enthusiasts (at least those of the silicon valley variety) and get-enlightened-quick people, and the current favourite flavour of the latter seems to be stoicism. At least that's my best explanation as an outsider.
    - _yb2s 2y ago
      Sure, but as someone with zero interest in crypto who has found ideas from Stoicism very useful to make my life better since long before cryptocurrencies existed- conflating an ancient philosophy followed by some of the greatest leaders in history with an obnoxious ponzi scheme fad seems absurd. I can understand how they could be associated if you were first introduced to Stoicism from hearing that cryptobros liked it, but otherwise didn't know much about it. Personally, it helped me navigate some incredibly difficult times in my life with more dignity and strength than I otherwise would have had. There is a 2000 year history of many people I admire doing the same with these ideas- Viktor Frankl in Auschwitz, James Stockdale as a POW in Vietnam, etc. To me because it requires hard, introspective, painful, and slow personal work that doesn't "pay off" with profits, attention, etc. it is sort of the polar opposite of shallow trends to get rich or "enlightened" fast and easy. The Neal Stephenson thing, if anyone didn't get it was a joke about how his books often involve cryptography and cryptocurrency themes together with ancient characters that time travel and/or are immortal.
Raztuf 2y ago
Funny to learn this word today. Stuff have been pretty rough for me these past few month and I have been unknowingly practicing ataraxia. Problems (at least mine) are temporary, instead of lamenting I should stay cool and enjoy what I have, preparing for the better days. It's truly liberating.
- giamma 2y ago
  In Epicureanism ataraxia is paired with ἀπονία (aponia). Aponia is for the body what ataraxia is for the mind. You can find more details in the Wikipedia page about Epicureanism [1]. True pleasure comes from the absence of spiritual trouble and the absence of physical pain. The Latins used to say "mens sana in corpore sano" (healthy mind in a healthy body) [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epicureanism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epicureanism
- Cthulhu_ 2y ago
  Next question / consideration in your situation of course is whether it's ataraxia, indifference, stoicism, emotional numbing, or disassociation. I think they're probably all related concepts.
orobus 2y ago
One of my professors liked to translate it as “un-stirred-up-ness” which I always loved.
snitzr 2y ago
Chill vibes.
imdsm 2y ago
What's the opposite? Because that's the one I have.
- tessierashpool9 2y ago
  taraxia is then what you have.
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
histories 2y ago
A different Ataraxia: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nHKqvc54TVjIEeYxYz18dZ_scIRc53JwI https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nHKqvc54TVjIEe...

73 points by keepamovin 2y ago

f5ve 2y ago

Josh Hartnett's suave insouciance in Lucky Number Slevin (2006) is accounted for by him "having ataraxia." [1] That is, as if it were a medical condition. I'm sure it was intended as a joke, but apparently wiktionary says "ataraxy" is sometimes used in a similar way, although I've never seen that. [2] [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjDTmTAy5rs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjDTmTAy5rs [2] https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ataraxy#English https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ataraxy#English

keepamovin 2y ago
I'm gonna check that out, now! Thank you for the recommend :) As an actor, I wonder if he was merely simulating ataraxy or if he genuinely had it? Perhaps, as an actor, there's no difference! BTW that clip was hilarious thank you! Hahaha :)
- 082349872349872 2y ago
  Ataraxia? Upekṣā? 与道合一? 不動心? Don't harsh my mellow, man; they're all the same to me...
n4r9 2y ago
Reminds me of the film Office Space, where Peter is hypnotised to (temporarily) have no cares in the world, but the hypnostist dies before snapping his fingers [0]. There's also a very similar trope in the first episode of the show Black Books, where Manny swallows the "Little Book of Calm", absorbs it into his body, and becomes a Jesus-like calm presence for a while. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfZpEe7KIJ8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfZpEe7KIJ8 [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_dMEX_Lke0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_dMEX_Lke0
- tessierashpool9 2y ago
  but was jesus jesus-like calm? "And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves." — Matthew 21:12–13, King James Version[10]
  - n4r9 2y ago
    I suppose I meant "calm like the modern image of Jesus, that has dramatically evolved and been cultivated over 2 thousand years", but that's a bit of a mouthful.
    - tessierashpool9 2y ago
      i suppose, too, but your short version isn't just a passable summary of the mouthful but rather revealing of how christians are cooking up a convenient interpretation of their beliefs while pretending to be so very devoted.
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
stakhanov 2y ago
> "having ataraxia." [1] That is, as if it were a medical condition. There is kind of a noticeable overlap between the stoic ideal and a schizoid personality style. For people who are already left-brain-dominant / spectrumy, or whatever you might call it, which applies to a lot of people in the computing profession, getting into stoicism as a philosophy and lifestyle is probably maladaptive.
throwaway71271 2y ago
I have a friend that has it. On his first day of work he missed the bus, so he called our boss and just said "I missed the bus, the next one is tomorrow morning, see you tomorrow". Working on any kind of problem with him is absolute joy, from outages to designing new features, including once when the server burned down and everything was lost.
- thunderbong 2y ago
  Would love to hear some more anecdotes

billg_and_band 2y ago

[flagged]

davedx 2y ago
Yeah it's interesting how newer cultures syncretise aspects of much older ideas like that.
escapecharacter 2y ago
Non-fungible feelings
_yb2s 2y ago
How in the Neal Stephenson were the ancient Greeks cryptobros?
- fnordian_slip 2y ago
  There seems to be quite a bit of overlap between cryptocurrency enthusiasts (at least those of the silicon valley variety) and get-enlightened-quick people, and the current favourite flavour of the latter seems to be stoicism. At least that's my best explanation as an outsider.
  - _yb2s 2y ago
    Sure, but as someone with zero interest in crypto who has found ideas from Stoicism very useful to make my life better since long before cryptocurrencies existed- conflating an ancient philosophy followed by some of the greatest leaders in history with an obnoxious ponzi scheme fad seems absurd. I can understand how they could be associated if you were first introduced to Stoicism from hearing that cryptobros liked it, but otherwise didn't know much about it. Personally, it helped me navigate some incredibly difficult times in my life with more dignity and strength than I otherwise would have had. There is a 2000 year history of many people I admire doing the same with these ideas- Viktor Frankl in Auschwitz, James Stockdale as a POW in Vietnam, etc. To me because it requires hard, introspective, painful, and slow personal work that doesn't "pay off" with profits, attention, etc. it is sort of the polar opposite of shallow trends to get rich or "enlightened" fast and easy. The Neal Stephenson thing, if anyone didn't get it was a joke about how his books often involve cryptography and cryptocurrency themes together with ancient characters that time travel and/or are immortal.

Raztuf 2y ago

Funny to learn this word today. Stuff have been pretty rough for me these past few month and I have been unknowingly practicing ataraxia. Problems (at least mine) are temporary, instead of lamenting I should stay cool and enjoy what I have, preparing for the better days. It's truly liberating.

giamma 2y ago
In Epicureanism ataraxia is paired with ἀπονία (aponia). Aponia is for the body what ataraxia is for the mind. You can find more details in the Wikipedia page about Epicureanism [1]. True pleasure comes from the absence of spiritual trouble and the absence of physical pain. The Latins used to say "mens sana in corpore sano" (healthy mind in a healthy body) [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epicureanism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epicureanism
Cthulhu_ 2y ago
Next question / consideration in your situation of course is whether it's ataraxia, indifference, stoicism, emotional numbing, or disassociation. I think they're probably all related concepts.

orobus 2y ago

One of my professors liked to translate it as “un-stirred-up-ness” which I always loved.

snitzr 2y ago

Chill vibes.

imdsm 2y ago

What's the opposite? Because that's the one I have.

tessierashpool9 2y ago
taraxia is then what you have.

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

histories 2y ago

A different Ataraxia: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nHKqvc54TVjIEeYxYz18dZ_scIRc53JwI https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nHKqvc54TVjIEe...